After a tough few weeks for the Western Force the men spoke about how important a game the Sunwolves was for many reasons.

It offered us a chance to get away as a team and spend some quality time together, the chance to experience a new culture with teammates and also took a bit of the edge off trying to win with the enjoyment from so many other factors coming to the fore.

And all these facets coming together showed with the best performance from the team and also showed with the amount of “bum taps” and smiles on the guys during the game. Finally our attack had clicked in the first half and the way we wanted to play was starting to come through.

As much as there were many positives however, we know the position of the team at the moment means we can never be complacent and after a good rest from the bye week we have to take on the rest of the year like we took on that first half in Tokyo.

As well as the rugby side of things, I was lucky enough to head to Tokyo on the Force CEO tour with sponsors and members of the mighty “Sea of Blue”. For me it offered a chance to get my head away from rehab, see how much the fans love the Force and watch a game with some members.

To experience the Japanese culture in many different ways with Force fans showed me the passion they have for this team to be a success, which is always eye opening.

The trip to Tokyo also showed me how important the Sunwolves are in Asteron Life Super Rugby. A full stadium at Prince Chichibu Stadium was a spectacle in itself, but the entertainment on offer was something you don’t often see at a rugby match and something that we can all learn from.

I hope to see the Sea of Blue in the stands on Saturday, when we take on the Auckland Blues, it should be a cracker of a match!

The Western Force host the Blues at nib Stadium on Saturday night. Kick-off is 5.40pm.